Video: Pate on why spring games are getting canceled

[Cruloc]

 

[PGDocBama]

I tend to agree with the author of this article on the subject.

Canceling spring games is just one example of a broader shift in college football, where the interests of fans seem to be taking a backseat. Whether it's conference realignment forcing longtime rivals to stop playing each other, games moving to exclusive streaming platforms, or changes to traditional aspects of the sport, the focus has increasingly shifted toward maximizing revenue rather than maintaining what made college football special in the first place.

The passion of the fans is what fuels college football. If programs continue to take away opportunities for fan engagement, whether through canceled spring games or other changes, they risk damaging the foundation of the sport.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

If programs continue to take away opportunities for fan engagement, whether through canceled spring games or other changes, they risk damaging the foundation of the sport.

Too late.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

Too late.

Yeah, they're about 5 years too late.

 

[Elefantman]

When it comes to destroying the relationship with your fans, CFB turned to NASCAR and said, "hold my beer and watch this"

 

[Tidewater]

I like his ideas:
Fix the insane May transfer portal and allow (but don't require) teams to schedule the 1AA opponent UT-Martin) for the spring.

 

[BamaFanatJSU]

I like his ideas:
Fix the insane May transfer portal and allow (but don't require) teams to schedule the 1AA opponent UT-Martin) for the spring.

I thought it was funny that he used SHSU as the FCS example when they're now an FBS program that won 10 games last year.

 

[CrimsonTitles]

I thought it was funny that he used SHSU as the FCS example when they're now an FBS program that won 10 games last year.

He cleared that up on last night's show. It was just a habit thing because they've been FCS for so long.

 

[Tidewater]

I thought it was funny that he used SHSU as the FCS example when they're now an FBS program that won 10 games last year.

Yeah, I had to think a bit for a school I was pretty sure was still 1AA. (I hope UT-Martin is still 1AA).
Anyway, rather than playing UT Martin in the fall, I'd consider going to see Bama play UTM in a "friendly" in the spring. And ESPN would probably air it.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Yeah, I had to think a bit for a school I was pretty sure was still 1AA. (I hope UT-Martin is still 1AA).
Anyway, rather than playing UT Martin in the fall, I'd consider going to see Bama play UTM in a "friendly" in the spring. And ESPN would probably air it.

We had a scrimmage against Memphis and Wake Forrest in basketball before the season started this year, so why not do that in football too?

 

[4Q Basket Case]

The transfer portal has been more damaging than pay-for-play. Makes it impossible for coaches to plan, let alone build, a roster. Severs the connection between players and fans. Which is slowly eroding the fans' connection with athletics in general.

The only thing I see that can fix it is a players union and a CBA. Unless and until that happens, we'll continue to slide down a slippery slope until we hit the cesspool at the bottom.

 

[FF4bama]

The transfer portal has been more damaging than pay-for-play. Makes it impossible for coaches to plan, let alone build, a roster. Severs the connection between players and fans. Which is slowly eroding the fans' connection with athletics in general.

The only thing I see that can fix it is a players union and a CBA. Unless and until that happens, we'll continue to slide down a slippery slope until we hit the cesspool at the bottom.

No offense 4QBC but I remember hating your idea when NIL first began a thing. Now I'd gladly get behind it after seeing the carnage NIL continues to create. Amateur athletics-- at least as far as football is concerned-- is now (un)officially extinct.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

No offense 4QBC but I remember hating your idea when NIL first began a thing. Now I'd gladly get behind it after seeing the carnage NIL continues to create. Amateur athletics-- at least as far as football is concerned-- is now (un)officially extinct.

No offense taken. I didn't like the idea 2 years ago and still really don't.

I just don't see an alternative that would (1) fix the problem and its myriad corollaries, (2) stand up in court, (3) be uniformly applicable across all 50 states, and (4) have the backing of a no-foolin' enforcement arm...in this case, the NLRB.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

No offense taken. I didn't like the idea 2 years ago and still really don't.

I just don't see an alternative that would (1) fix the problem and its myriad corollaries, (2) stand up in court, (3) be uniformly applicable across all 50 states, and (4) have the backing of a no-foolin' enforcement arm...in this case, the NLRB.

Someone is going to have to convince the majority of players who aren't making the big bucks and who are getting pennies on the dollar compared to the elite players to create/join a union. Because the elite players are the ones currently benefitting from this wild wild west landscape we have now. All we hear about are people like Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith, Carson Beck who are getting literally millions of dollars under the current "system". But what we're not hearing about are the rest of the players who are getting pennies on the dollar compared to the elite players, when under a CBA, could get more equitable deals and protection across the board compared to how it is now. You can't force a union on people who don't want it. So you have to convince the majority they need one.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Someone is going to have to convince the majority of players who aren't making the big bucks and who are getting pennies on the dollar compared to the elite players to create/join a union. Because the elite players are the ones currently benefitting from this wild wild west landscape we have now. All we hear about are people like Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith, Carson Beck who are getting literally millions of dollars under the current "system". But what we're not hearing about are the rest of the players who are getting pennies on the dollar compared to the elite players, when under a CBA, could get more equitable deals and protection across the board compared to how it is now. You can't force a union on people who don't want it. So you have to convince the majority they need one.

I don’t see this as highly probable today, but still a non-zero chance a few years out.

What if the colleges instituted a lockout, refusing to negotiate one-on-one, demanding to deal collectively with a union?

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I don’t see this as highly probable today, but still a non-zero chance a few years out.

What if the colleges instituted a lockout, refusing to negotiate one-on-one, demanding to deal collectively with a union?

That would take the majority of the colleges agreeing to do it, but some lawyer would file "collusion" charges against every one of the universities.

 

[Cruloc]

That would take the majority of the colleges agreeing to do it, but some lawyer would file "collusion" charges against every one of the universities.

One reason they'd have to get legislation passed stating they aren't subject to anti-trust laws.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

One reason they'd have to get legislation passed stating they aren't subject to anti-trust laws.

Labor unions are already exempt from anti-trust laws.

I don't know if colleges would be guilty of collusion if they demanded to negotiate with a union, but it would be an interesting argument.

Mrs. Basket Case was a Labor & Employment lawyer. But she specialized in ERISA, not labor negotiations. She said she didn't know for sure but felt it would depend on the leanings of whatever administration was in place at the DOJ when the question arose. IOW, under Trump, who knows?

 

[jashleyren2]

Good discussion here. Just reading your comments, and this is why I come to this board, although not as frequently as I used to.

I interviewed a sports agent/attorney guy from South Florida back in 2019, just before NIL and the portal really took off. His thoughts were that players had the power in the relationship, and that wasn't much different than before. His contention that some athletes have been paid for a long time, but formalizing NIL and the portal saddled with it would equalize the sport.

It seems to be doing that, so far. SEC dominance in football has already slipped in favor of Big 10 schools. ACC and North east US school dominance in college basketball has slipped as well now, seemingly in favor of the SEC.

My take: Title IX is going to have to be sacrificed at some point. The sky is not the limit on funding for men's athletics, but allowing it to be gobbled up by male athletes won't be allowed into infinity either. To be clear: I am NOT opposed to Title IX. I support it. It's a pillar of amateur athletics.

Big time college sports is no longer that. Amateur. It's even "formalized" as professional or at least semi-professional now.

 

[BamaMoon]

I LOVE the idea of scheduling intersquad games with instate colleges.

It would require some planning to get the schools to line up the times they have spring practices but the FANS would love it.

EDIT: I realize the "fans" don't get a vote and don't really have much of a voice, but I'd still love it. And charge $10 a ticket and funnel it to the NIL collective. Meet in the middle! Makes fans happy and make an easy 1 mill. for the players.